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By VICKI URBANIK Got some land to sell – the wetter, the better? Look no further than the Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy. When the CCWC recently acquired a 29.4-acre wetland along the Little Calumet River north of Indian Boundary Road, the purchase represented the group’s first, but not last, venture into managing lands outside of its 167-acre preserve in Chesterton. The CCWC is now actively seeking about 70 additional acres within the Coffee Creek and Little Calumet River watersheds. The land must come from willing sellers, who not only will get paid appraised value but who also won’t have to pay a dime toward any of the transaction costs. And, some might say, best of all, the sellers will get the satisfaction of knowing that their land will be forever preserved as waterfowl habitat. It’s all part of a $3.3 million federal grant awarded to 11 groups, including the CCWC, involved in a project officially known as the Southern Lake Michigan Coastal Wetlands Project Phase 3. The grant, administered by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, was awarded through the federal North American Waterfowl Conservation Act. The grant calls for the total acquisition of 710 acres of waterfowl habitat, 399 acres of restoration, and 60 acres of land enhancements in the southern Lake Michigan watershed. The CCWC’s portion of the grant calls for it to purchase 100 acres. CCWC Executive Director Katie Rizer said the conservancy was very pleased to have acquired the wetland north of the Jewel/Osco store and adjacent to the 10-acre Langeluttig Marsh managed by the Department of Natural Resources. But there’s much more land out there to be acquired. “There’s still a lot more money available,” she said. The southern Lake Michigan region is a critical area for migratory birds, given the huge body of water that awaits the birds when they resume their flight. Rizer noted that motorists need to refuel before making a long trek through a desert. “It’s the same thing the birds need to do.” In addition to the CCWC and Shirley Heinze, the other partners are the Indiana Heritage Trust, Nature Conservancy, Lake County Parks, Lakes Heritage Parks Foundation, DNR, NiSource, Ducks Unlimited, Lake Erie Land Co., and Marsh Transplant Aquatic Nursery. Ideally, the land that the CCWC will acquire would be located along the river or creek, but it doesn’t have to be. The land must be identified on soil maps as “wet soil.” All the partnering groups will conduct a site review to determine if the property is suitable for acquisition. The grant is due to expire in September of next year. Rizer said many property owners want to preserve their land, but they may not know about the grant program. While the CCWC would like to acquire large tracts, she also said there are benefits toward preserving smaller parcels of five or 10 acres in size. “Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to find large tracts of land that still exist,” she said. Once the CCWC or any of the other groups involved purchases a tract, they will acquire a conservation easement guaranteeing that they will preserve the land as waterfowl habitat and make enhancements such as removal of exotic species. The CCWC will work with property owners who may wish to split their property, designating a certain amount for the program. In future grant phases, the CCWC could seek to install trails or other educational uses on the properties acquired, but Rizer said in this phase of the grant, the money is targeted just for acquisition. “The key right now is preservation,” she said. Property owners are free to donate their land towards the program, but if they wish to receive compensation, the grant program will pay appraised value as well as the costs of the appraisals and all other expenses. To learn more or to sell land, contact Rizer at (219) 926-1842. If the property is not in the Little Calumet or Coffee Creek watersheds, the CCWC will direct the interested sellers to one of the other partners acquiring land in other southern Lake Michigan watersheds.
Posted 8/25/2003
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